Month: August 2013

Drug overdoses are a major cause of preventable death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 100 Americans died from overdose every day in 2010.[i] Prescription drugs were involved in at least half of the more than 38,300 overdose deaths that year, and opioid pain relievers were involved in over 16,600.[ii] Drug overdose deaths outnumber deaths from gunshot wounds or motor vehicle crashes. To address this challenge, in […]

In 2011, President Obama issued the first-ever Presidential Proclamation designating October National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. National Substance Abuse Prevention Month is a month-long observance to highlight the role substance abuse prevention plays in promoting safe and healthy communities. The month provides an important opportunity to pay tribute to the tragic losses attributed to substance abuse. The video message from Director Kerlikowske below provides ONDCP’s perspective on Prevention Month.

Drinking alcohol to excess can have serious consequences for your short and long-term health. As well as affecting your liver, did you know that too much alcohol can also have a negative impact on your heart? There’s no harm in enjoying an occasional drink in moderation, but drinking to excess can have a serious impact on your health. Cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke, are the leading cause of death worldwide, and […]

Students at a high school in Illinois will be randomly tested for alcohol this year, according to ABC News. The test uses hair samples. Students at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights have been randomly tested for drugs since 2007. All students are tested at the beginning of the year. Students are then randomly selected through a computerized system, using their ID numbers, throughout the year, and are tested again. This year, alcohol testing […]

Rural areas are seeing a surge in heroin use, The Wall Street Journal reports. The rise comes as Mexican heroin production has increased in recent years. Officials seized 1,989 kilograms of heroin at the Southwest border, from Texas to California, in 2012, up from 487 kilograms in 2008, the article notes. Many people who were addicted to prescription painkillers switched to heroin after drug companies made their products more difficult to crush and snort. Heroin […]

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In December 2011, Join Together published a commentary entitled “Legalization of Marijuana and the Impact on Children.” The article stressed that future laws legalizing marijuana use should have strict provisions designed to prevent underage consumption. [...]

Teens who drink heavily appear to have significant abnormalities in brain development, a new study finds. Heavy drinking by teens may also be associated with a gene mutation linked to impulsiveness, according to another new [...]

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Currently members of the public can dispose of their unwanted and expired prescription medications conveniently and safely at the Round Lake Park Police Department, located at 215 E. Main Street, Round Lake Park IL. The [...]

Opioid and heroin use is surging in Illinois communities and across the country with dramatic increases in the number of users and deaths by overdose. Communities, criminal justice practitioners, and public health professionals are struggling [...]

Protect Your Kids: 3 Steps to Safeguard Your Home Two-thirds of teens who report abuse of prescription medicine are getting them from friends, family and acquaintances. Make sure the teens in your life don’t have [...]

Here is an excellent article from CNBC on Marijuana. The link to the original article can be found here. Contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate the legalization of marijuana, the current balanced, restrictive, [...]